A police clearance certificate records the result of a criminal-history check held by the police of one country. In Thailand it is issued by the Police Clearance Service Centre of the Special Branch Bureau, Royal Thai Police; in Australia it is issued by the Australian Federal Police. When the certificate is lodged with an Australian authority and is not in English, it must be accompanied by a translation in the form that authority requires — for documents translated in Australia this normally means a translation by a NAATI-certified translator.
Applications are lodged with the Police Clearance Service Centre, Special Branch Bureau. The applicant provides identification, passport, and any supporting documents the Centre lists for the purpose of the request, and fingerprints are taken through the channel the Centre specifies. Forms, required documents, channels and fees are those published by the Centre at the time of lodgement.
Applicants abroad usually have fingerprints taken by the local police or at a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate, then submit the set to the Police Clearance Service Centre through the channel it publishes, either directly or through an authorised representative in Thailand. Confirm the accepted fingerprint form and posting address with the Centre before taking prints.
Australian authorities generally expect police certificates from every country where an applicant has lived for a cumulative period specified in their policy. Foreign nationals who have stayed in Thailand can request a Thai certificate from the Police Clearance Service Centre; check the current requirement and the countries involved against Department of Home Affairs guidance for your visa.
Source: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/
An Australian National Police Check is issued by the Australian Federal Police. Where an immigration application requires it, the AFP publishes the correct check type and purpose code to use; selecting the wrong purpose code is a common cause of a certificate being rejected. Apply through the AFP's own service and follow the code stated by the requesting authority.
Source: https://www.afp.gov.au/
A Thai certificate lodged with an Australian authority needs a full translation: header, reference number, the body text, every stamp and signature block, and any annotation on the reverse. Names must be spelled exactly as in the passport across the whole document set. Where the authority requires NAATI certification, the translation is delivered as a PDF carrying the translator's NAATI stamp and signature.
Source: https://www.naati.com.au/
Read the authority's own instructions: which country's certificate, how recent it must be, and which translation standard is accepted. Requirements differ by visa subclass and by assessing body.
Thailand: the Police Clearance Service Centre, Special Branch Bureau. Australia: the Australian Federal Police. Follow the current forms, identification requirements and fingerprint process each publishes.
Verify the spelling of your name, date of birth, passport number and the issue date before it is translated. An error found later means reapplying to the police authority.
Send a clear colour scan of every page. We return a full translation with the NAATI stamp and signature, matching the names used across your other documents.
Some destinations also require legalisation by the Department of Consular Affairs and then by their embassy. Only add these steps when the receiving authority asks for them.
There is no single answer. The validity window is set by the authority receiving it, not by the police force issuing it. Check the instruction published for your visa subclass or registration application.
Australian authorities generally require a certificate from each country where you have lived for a cumulative period stated in their policy. If both Thailand and Australia fall within that rule, you need both.
The Police Clearance Service Centre publishes the conditions for authorised representatives, including the power of attorney and identification required. Confirm the current conditions before appointing someone.
For Australian authorities, translations produced in Australia are normally required to be by a NAATI-certified translator. Translations produced outside Australia must carry the translator's full name, address and qualification details in the form the authority specifies. Follow the wording published for your application.
The certificate must be issued by the police authority to the applicant or an authorised representative under its own rules. We prepare and certify the translation, and explain the certification chain. Contact us by phone, LINE or email to discuss your case.
Content reviewed August 2026. General information on document preparation, not legal or migration advice. Government forms, fees and processing times are those published by the relevant authority at the time of lodgement.
